OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES…
What you will KNOW…
What is an Analysis Essay?
The key components of analysis.
What we will DO for preparation:
Examine a model prompt, a sample passage, and
a student written example of an Analysis essay.
Help you plan, organize, and draft portions of
your own analysis essay.
WHAT IS IT?? ANALYSIS 101…
The two questions one needs to answer when analyzing a
text :
 What is the author’s
PURPOSE?
HOW (strategies / choices) does the author
communicate that purpose to the audience?
PURPOSE IS…
The author’s / speaker’s specific reasons for
writing
What does he/she hope to accomplish?
What does he/she want the audience to do
with the ideas put before them?
Sometime the purpose may be directly stated;
other times it will be implied .
AUDIENCE IS…
The target of the writer/speaker. This greatly
affects HOW the message is delivered.
Audience can have several levels:
Primary – immediate, intended audience
Secondary – future, not the initial focus of the
speaker’s intention
APPEALS TO THE AUDIENCE
logos—logical appeal (i.e. content, facts,
statistics, numbers, concrete)
pathos – emotional appeal (i.e. anecdotes,
sensory language, informal language)
ethos – ethical appeal (i.e. speaker’s credibility,
qualifications, reputation, demonstration of
research)
ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE, FORM
• The arrangement of ideas and sequence of
thoughts as they interact with the audience’s
mind / ears (repetition, parallelism,
anaphora, polysyndeton, asyendeton)
• What is the significance of the paragraph,
line or word within a placement of the text?
• Why did the writer choose this particular type
of writing (anecdotal, definition, comparison /
contrast, cause and effect, satire)?
NO MATTER WHAT YOU CHOOSE….
*It is not enough to be able to identify these
components in a text;
*It is not enough to merely summarize or
paraphrase what the device means;
one must be able to connect
them to the author’s purpose
and explain how they help the
writer achieve that meaning.
LINCOLN’S 2ND INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Step 2:
How does the author
achieve the purpose?
Annotate literary & rhetorical devices.
Annotate means identify them AND
write notes in the margin.
Evaluate which ones BEST connect to purpose.
LINCOLN’S 2ND Please
INAUGURAL
ADDRESS
remember
ALL analysis
begins with AUTHOR PURPOSE.
Read the speechPurpose
carefully.
is NOT meaning.
What isyour
he/she
trying to accomplish or do?
Analyze:/Annotate
Text.
Please do not overlook this critical step.
Step 1:
What is his purpose?
Please write it on your paper.
Find KEY EVIDENCE in the text that supports
your conclusion – how do you KNOW you are
right?
DEVICES / STRATEGIES
• Diction – choice of words
• Syntax – sentence structure
• Figurative Language / Rhetorical Strategies
In sum, just about ANYTHING
on your literary terms list.
BRAINSTORM THE PROMPT
1. Complete the chart on the back of the speech.
Focus on PARALLELISM
ALLUSIONS
PERSONIFICATION
2. Discuss the devices and how they help Lincoln
achieve his purpose.
THE ESSAY PROMPT
In his second Inaugural address, given one month before
the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln
surprised his audience – which expected a lengthy
speech on politics, slavery, and states’ rights – with a
short speech in which he contemplated the effects of the
Civil War and offered his vision for the future of the
nation. Read the address carefully. Then write an essay in
which you analyze the rhetorical strategies President
Lincoln used to achieve his purpose. Support your
analysis with specific references to the text.
STUDENT SAMPLE ESSAY
What makes a “good” analysis essay?
• Effectively written & organized from beginning
to end.
• Powerful analysis statements (avoidance of
lengthy and unnecessary summary).
• Well-supported, consistent analysis.
• Command of language and style.
THE INTRODUCTORY
PARAGRAPH
The beginning should be broad.
As you progress, the information
should become more specific, leading
to the thesis statement.
Thesis statement
The main goals of the introductory paragraph are to set up your argument and to
make the reader want to continue reading.
This is a BRIEF, but CRITICAL part of your essay.
WRITING THE INTRODUCTION
Step One: Hook Audience Interest
Broad universal statement relating to the subject or
theme of the text
Example:
Four years before his Second Inaugural Address,
President Lincoln had given a speech about war, “an
impending civil war.”
WRITING THE INTRODUCTION
Step Two – Easing your Way to the Thesis Statement
Mention the author / title of the text, if you haven’t
already
This is your occasion for writing - what you are
writing in reaction / response to
This sentence (or two) serves as a “bridge”
between the universal opening statement and your
thesis statement
STEP TWO
Now, after four years of war, the President is
issuing a speech of reconciliation, trying to
convince his people to come back together with
their Southern brothers, and try and heal the
horribly wounded nation.
WRITING THE INTRODUCTION
Step Three – The Thesis Statement
• Answers the question / Addresses all the
prompt
• Provides a specific assertion or point to prove
• Outlines the plan for the body paragraphs
THE THESIS
A gifted speaker, the President used three primary
literary tools to make his point: parallel structure to
illustrate similarities between Northerner and
Southerner, allusions to the Bible to highlight the
Christian values so important to both, and
personification to paint the war as an evil enemy,
and the nation as a wounded friend.
THE BODY PARAGRAPHS
• Remember the key lies in your ability to prove
your thesis, so choose your examples
carefully
• Always connect the example to the thesis –
show why that particular example does what
you are claiming it does
USING EXAMPLES CORRECTLY
• Identify the strategy / device
• Use paraphrasing or short quotations – Avoid
long, unnecessary quotations
• Analyze how the example helps the writer
achieve his purpose (connect to meaning)
• ANALYZE not explain or summarize.
EXAMPLE
The Christian values shared by both sides are further
emphasized by Lincoln through allusions. He says in the
third paragraph “let us judge not, lest we be judged.” This is
a direct allusion to Jesus and his statement “judge not lest
ye be judged.” It reflects the Christian value of forgiveness,
something North and South share, and that should certainly
apply for both in their current situation.
INCORPORATING QUOTATIONS
Incorporate the quotation into a sentence of your own.
Make a “Quote Sandwich”
 First, lead in to the idea
 Next, cite the quotation
 Finally, analyze the effectiveness of the example in
the text
DO NOT use a lengthy quote – use key word details.
DO NOT have a quote in an isolated, separate sentence
all by itself.
HOW TO INCORPORATE QUOTATIONS
Always include quoted detail in your own
sentence – do NOT separate it out.
.
USE A SIGNAL PHRASE TO INTRODUCE THE QUOTE AND ABSORBS IT AS
PART OF A LARGER, COMPLETE SENTENCE
In this example, the quote is an independent sentence with no direct relation to any other part of the
paragraph.
WRONG:
In The Good Doctor,
the Narrator directly
addresses the
audience. "It's quite
alright, you're not
disturbing me" (Simon
7).
*
BETTER: In The
Good Doctor, the
Narrator begins the
play by directly
addressing the
audience: "It's
quite alright, you're
not disturbing me"
(Simon 7).
HOW TO INCORPORATE QUOTATIONS
Use a signal verb with the author's name
(if possible) to introduce the quotation.
In this example, the verb "advocates" is part of the quote, not the sentence. And a sentence
without a verb is a fragment. Also, the author's name does not need to appear in the
parenthetical citation if it appears in the text.
WRONG:
In his article on
horse racing, Merrill
"advocate[s] the
use of children as
jockeys for
professional horse
races" (Merrill 15).
BETTER:
In his article on
horse racing, Merrill
staunchly supports
"the use of children
as jockeys for
professional horse
races" (15).
CONCLUSION
• CONSIDER: How are the arguments in the
essay connected?
• What have I proven?
• Why are my arguments important?
• Do my conclusions speak to a greater truth
about the human condition? (hint: they
always should)
All of these questions and the answers they
produce are part of your essay’s impact. This
component is vital to the success of your
essay.
CONCLUSION
At the start of his second term, Lincoln
realized the necessity for the repairing and
healing of the nation. In his inaugural address,
he appealed to the hearts and minds of the
people and tried to mend the rift that had
grown between North and South.
GRAMMAR?
Grammar cannot be ignored if you wish to become a
more successful writer. Follow these basic tips to
increase the effectiveness of your writing.
No first person or second person – Avoid “I think” and
the temptation of commands
Pronoun clarity – Avoid the evils of “it” and “There is”
Verbs – Utilize action and active verbs - the most
important part of any sentence
No informalities – Avoid contractions, slang,
abbreviations, symbols, “a lot”, texting language…
A TYPICAL ANALYSIS PROMPT
Read [the speech] carefully. In a wellorganized essay, analyze the rhetorical
strategies (organization, diction, syntax, tone)
that make [the speaker’s] argument effective
for his audience.
PARTS OF THE PROMPT
Three objectives must be achieved before you
can write your thesis or plan your essay.
Who is the speaker’s audience?
What is the speaker’s purpose?
Which particular devices or strategies (literary
devices / rhetorical devices) are most
effective in helping him to achieve his
purpose?
YOUR REAL ESSAY & TOPIC
The prompt will come to you ________.
The passage will be one we have collectively
chosen (all AP teachers) for your success.
You will have at least 24 hours to read, analyze,
brainstorm your essay, & fill in your planning
page for writing. NOTE: *this does NOT happen in a REAL AP Assessment.
You will type the full essay IN CLASS on _______.